Kazakh Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alibek Kuantyrov speaks during a press briefing in Astana, Kazakhstan, Thursday (local time). Korea Times photo by Kim Hyun-bin

ASTANA, Kazakhstan — Kazakhstan is moving forward with plans to build its first nuclear power plant and is exploring the possibility of forming a consortium with various international partners, including South Korea, according to Kazakh Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alibek Kuantyrov.

"We've been thinking about opening a nuclear plant for a long time, and finally, the referendum showed it," Kuantyrov stated during a Q&A briefing session in Astana, Thursday. "The decision of the population was to have it in Kazakhstan since we are rich in uranium, but we still have not yet built any nuclear plant."

Kazakhstan, a country abundant in uranium resources, held a national referendum on introducing nuclear power plants. An overwhelming 71.12 percent of voters supported the construction of the plants, indicating strong public backing for this major energy shift. The cost of constructing Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant is estimated to be between $10 billion and $12 billion.

"One of the priority options for us is to have a consortium with different countries and suppliers, including South Korea," Kuantyrov said. "We are looking at different options with Japan, South Korea, Russia, Canada, the United States, France and others. By next year, we will reveal who will be the main vendor or group of vendors."

The Kazakh government has set an ambitious goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, which includes plans to build two nuclear power plants in the Ulken region. Currently, Kazakhstan's energy landscape is dominated by fossil fuels, which account for nearly 80 percent of the total power generation capacity. Additionally, over half of the thermal power plants are more than 30 years old, highlighting a pressing need for modernization and renovation.

"The work is being conducted at the moment by the Minister of Energy and stakeholders," Kuantyrov said. "We are still working on some technical issues, and we want the best technologies available to participate in the building of this plant. Probably, there will be a consortium."

A Kazakh government official indicated that the multinational consortium is leaning toward four nations, including Korea.

"The consortium is leaning to include four nations: Korea, France, China and Russia," the official told The Korea Times.

Recently, Kazakhstan has been closely engaging with Korean firm Doosan to enhance cooperation. On Oct. 23, Kazakhstan's Minister of Energy Almassadam Satkaliyev visited Doosan Enerbility's headquarters in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.

During this visit, the Kazakhstan Ministry of Energy signed a memorandum of understanding with Doosan Enerbility to cooperate in the development of Kazakhstan's power industry. Through this agreement, the two parties plan to expand cooperation for the development and modernization of Kazakhstan's power industry.

Doosan Enerbility is a significant player in the nuclear power plant sector, known for its involvement in both domestic and international projects. They have been crucial to the construction and supply of equipment for several nuclear power plants, including the Shin Hanul units in Korea and the El Dabaa nuclear power plant in Egypt.

In June, Park Jeong-won, chairman of the Doosan Group, had a separate meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana during the Korea-Kazakhstan Business Forum to discuss ways to cooperate in the energy industry. Park accompanied President Yoon Suk Yeol as part of an economic delegation on his tour of three Central Asian countries.